While Were Young by. K.L Walther
⭐️⭐️⭐️.8/5
This was a very anticipated read for me and I would say I enjoyed it on several levels. It was fun and goofy, an easy read that appeared light hearted… boy was I wrong. There was so much joy in this story but K.L Walther did an amazing job recognizing that we’ve all got our own issues and things in our life. Having the friendship that these friends had is everything and I enjoyed the wild goose hunt James went on, it really adds to the plot and showed the passion and love these friends had for each other. I found myself referring back to “What Happens After Midnight” often as they have similar ideas and themes. As much as I loved this story and the fight these characters have experienced for each other and the realistic side of this story I will say it got a bit slow at times. Halfway through the book I was excited and ready for some crazy twist but it felt kind of empty. Some of these chapters were kind of hit or miss for me as they were uneventful, not really matching the rest of the mood of the book. Besides this small detail I enjoyed this book dearly and was very impressed with her ability to not only have two POVs but four different POVs while still maintaining a concise and organized text. If you’re looking for an exciting but also deep story this may be for you!
Tropes in this book
* Friends-Lovers
* Young Adult
* Depression and Anxiety rep
* Best friends Brother
* Spontaneous Trip
Songs that remind me of this book
* Never Grow Up. Taylor Swift
* Take me out to the ball game. champs united
* I don’t want this night to end. Luke Bryan

I have not gotten around to posting any reviews but I absolutely will, thanks

ARC REVIEW:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Grace, Isa, and Everett have been a package deal since the day they met. But when a nasty breakup results in a fissure between two thirds of the trio, drastic action is needed. With graduation mere weeks away, Grace plans the ultimate senior skip day. Will gallivanting across Philadelphia remind them of all the good times they have shared, or will it prove some friendships have expiration dates?

If you grew up in the 80s and 90s, you are familiar with the plethora of coming of age comedies that stole the hearts of Americans. K. L. Walther’s latest YA (young adult) RomCom, While We’re Young, plays homage to the popular John Hughes film, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Fans of the genre will appreciate Walther’s adaptation and her decision to place a studious, female protagonist in the lead role.

It might seem counterintuitive to have Grace Barbour, a devoted academic and rule follower, plan an epic senior ditch day. However, Walther’s decision proves she is always one step ahead. Everyone expects the class clown or school slacker to ditch, no one expects the beloved class president.

Witnessing the high school trio reconnect and begin to rebuild their friendship was a rollercoaster of emotion. Not only does this book have all the feels, but it is guaranteed to keep you entertained from start to finish. Once you start, you won’t be able to stop!

Be sure to read for:
-multiple POVs
-secret pining
-teenage drama
-second chance friendship
-lots of adventure

Special thanks to Netgalley, Random House Children’s, and K.L. Walter for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun take on Ferris Buller’s Day Off! I absolutely loved how we got everyone’s point of view and the depth we got of each character! The group’s dynamic was so fun and loving. I wish I could go on adventures with this group!

KL Walther is a young adult author who holds auto-buy status with me. I am enchanted by her writing style, her humor, and, of course, the Taylor Swift references. (Oh, how KL was manifesting reputation (taylor’s version) so hard in this.) While I’m not the biggest fan of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” I can’t deny this story is the spiritual successor to that ‘80s movie. However, this novel did not manage to knock “The Summer of Broken Rules” from its place as my favorite KL Walther book.

KL Walther young adult novels are some of my favorite novels out on the market. That’s due to her gorgeous writing style, and the care with which she handles sensitive topic matter. This is the second book of hers I’ve read that discusses grief and how it impacts the people left behind in the wake of a death. As always, that topic was handled with grace, understanding, and an honesty to it. Grief is not a linear healing journey, but something that hangs with a person for the rest of their life.

I want to give Walther her due—it is difficult to write a story that spans a single day, and this novel made it appear effortless. This was a delightful adventure through Philidelphia—I've never been, and now I need to visit that city—that had me laughing and gasping over the shenanigans. There is magic to exploring the world through the lens of a teenager and not having worries about consequences. However, the ending felt abrupt. There were multiple plots I wanted to see the loose ends resolved for (if the house was going to be sold, what happened between Isa’s parents), and it was a surprise to read the last chapter and turn to the next page to see the acknowledgements. I recognize the subplots would have taken the novel beyond the scope of the single day, but I would have loved to see an Epilogue of all the characters a few months, or even a year, down the line and what happened to those subplots.

Going into this, I was not expecting this novel to have four distinct perspectives. I loved being able to see where everyone’s headspace was at and which secrets were being withheld. The perspective shifts brought a delicious tension to the story and were a driving force behind my reading pace. But, there was a detriment to these four perspectives as well. Because there were four different characters, I had a difficult time finding the chemistry between the two couples. The story would have been stronger—and a four-star read—if the focus was more on repairing friendships over focusing on the romances. Since the story only spanned one day, I never got a sense of either couple, nor did I really root for them. What I was rooting for was the repairing of their platonic and sibling relationships.

This is a side note, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the fourth wall breaking in this novel. Those moments occurred in James and Everrett’s perspectives, and they were always jarring. Breaking the fourth wall always pulls me out of a story, and that remained true for this novel as well.

Overall, this was a fun young adult romp! It triggered my nostalgia for my high school years and made me long for more adventure. I look forward to reading more of KL Walther’s books in the future.

TW: grief, death of a parent (off-page)

Thank you to Delacorte Romance and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

✨ ARC Review ✨
Rate: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Just wrapped up this ARC and I have some thoughts! It had its moments, and there’s definitely more to unpack. Stay tuned for my full review coming soon!

Best friends Grace, Isa, and Everett ditch school for their own makeshift Senior Skip Day, before graduation comes and they’re all pulled in different directions. Each has a secret they’re hiding from the other, and Grace’s brother, James, is left behind and in the dark until he takes matters into his own hands. A gender-swapped Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, WHILE WE’RE YOUNG was a fun, quick read about friendship, growing up, and loss.

K. L. Walther set her own bar so high for me with SUMMER OF BROKEN RULES that it’s been difficult for her subsequent books to reach that level, and unfortunately, this book was no exception.

But first, what worked:
The four perspectives were seamless; each was distinct from the other, and I think being in each of these character’s heads and getting an inside look at what they were hiding from the others really added to the story.

Another component that I enjoyed is something Walther excels at—writing a story that’s lighthearted on the surface but has an undertone of grief and loss that the characters are experiencing. You can tell she’s writing from experience and doesn’t pull punches, which I love.

Unfortunately, a lot of the conflict in this book relies on the miscommunication trope, which isn’t a favorite of mine either.

And while Walther excels at writing friendships, and this was no exception, the romance in this book missed the mark for me as well. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Isa and James or Grace and Everett.

In the end, everything was wrapped up a little too neatly and into a perfect bow for my personal taste, but such is the case often with YA. Everyone was quick to forgive each other for their respective deceptions, and while that isn’t completely unrealistic, I was surprised that there was no added conflict there, and their problems were essentially easily swept under the rug.

I was also frustrated that we didn’t ultimately get any resolution for these characters.

Specifically, if Grace and James’s house is going to be sold and where they’re moving to, since their parents have been keeping it a secret, or what happened when Isa told her mom about her dad’s affair or seeing any aftermath of his car being destroyed. Or Everett dealing with the repercussions of lying to his mom about where he was or coming clean about wanting to start antidepressants.

All in all, not my favorite book from Walther. I’m hoping her newest release, FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING, breaks this streak.

thank you netgalley and random house for the opportunity to read this ARC!

i was a huge fan of Summer of broken rules and was so excited to read this one! Grace, a high senior, decides to plan a day off from school to help her two best friends Isa and Everett reconcile their differences before college.

You get multiple perspectives in the book, which helps you fall for characters especially everett! The author does a great job getting deeper with the characters even though this is a YA lighthearted read! I think it’s rare to find books with so many perspectives and also making each one very different. The very few things i did not like were the flash back chapters because they were very long! I would be reading and forget i was in the flash book and had to flip back and be like OHHHH. A few things felt rushed in the book but overall, i would recommend this book! It’s a fast paced read, a great palette cleanser!

K.L. Walther's "While We're Young" offers a nostalgic, single-day adventure through Philadelphia. While the premise is engaging and the setting vibrant, As someone who grew up watching classic 80's teen movies, this book was a great nod to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I did find the pacing of the book to be slow at times, making this a light but superficial read for me. Overall, this book is perfect for those wanting a light and easy read.

This was a cutie YA read that’s inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I liked that the basic story line felt familiar, but they added a lot more complex storylines and backstory to each character. I had a lot of fun following these friends around Philadelphia. Having been there a few times, I loved seeing the city through their eyes.

The story follows… ok, let me pull out my notes for this 🤣 Grace and Isa are life long best friends, who decide to ditch school at the end of their senior year. Their ex bestie, Emmett tags along, in order to clear the air and have one last memory before they all go off to college. Emmett is… Isa’s ex and the boy Grace has always pined after. He’s also friends with James, Grace’s brother, and who Isa has been pining after. DO YOU SEE MY CONFUSION?! I had to refer to my notes throughout this story, because for some reason I couldn’t keep anyone straight.😂

The drama (and betrayal by literally every character in this), wasn’t my favorite. Everyone had secrets from everyone, and I just wanted them all to be besties. I do think things were resolved maturely in the end between the four friends. It’s always nice to see YA characters deal with conflict in a healthy way, even if they were like 3 years too late lol.

I would definitely recommend this read to people who like YA nostalgic stories. There was some language in this and suggestive discussions, but nothing was explicit.

Thank you Net Galley for this arc! 🙏🏼

I absolutely adored this book! I knew it was a YA since my teenage daughter loves K.L. Walther's novels and I know she'll love this one just as well. At first I wasn't sure what it was going to be like with the 4 different POVs, but it was so much fun being in each of their heads! This book had me wanting to binge it in one night, I just had to know where they were going and if they'd get away with it! I can't wait to read more of this author's books. 4.75 stars! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love the pining/yearning/angst that K. L. Walther always brings to her books.

I was rooting for every character in this book and enjoyed watching the tangled feelings and past and grief and hurt play out over the course of this one big day out in the city.

The nods to Ferris Bueller's day off were very fun if not a bit too spot on? But made me smile and giggle each time something came up.

Content warning for sure for death of a parent, infidelity of a parent, and terminal illness of a parent.

This was a DNF for me. I just couldn’t get into it. Didn’t feel like anything I was interested in finding out with happened.
I liked the multiple prospectives

This was another fun K.L. Walther read! I love reading Walther's books through the lens of my pre-teen and teenage students because while they are mostly lighthearted "summery" stories, there are some hard-hitting topics that get hit in a manageable and empathetic way. As a long time fan of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, I found While We're Young to be a cute and modern twist on the story! Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

All the stars to this gender-swapped retelling of Ferris Bueller set in Philadelphia. The characters were well developed, the humor top notch, and the story arc such a delight.

This was a great story! It was a gender-swapped Ferris Bueller with a few clever nods thrown in. I really enjoyed this and adored the main characters by the end. Clever twist and clever storytelling!

Truly this is what I’m looking for in YA books. Like a silly, out of this world but so fun premise with a little heart and depth. This book delivered on those accounts, and I did feel a little like I was reading an updated version of Ferris Bueller. The tension of the romance subplots was great, and I loved having the alternating POVs. My main complaint was that I felt like the ending was sudden and didn’t resolve everything. I assume that it was left semi-open for a reason, but I knocked it to a 4 for that reason.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for this ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

I flipping LOVE K.L. Walter and their stories are always such a good palate cleanser from too much murder or dragons. Highly recommend any of their books.

Thank you Delacorte Romance for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

I’ve been a fan of K.L Walther’s since I read The Summer of Broken Rules the year it came out. If i was still in high school, i know i would eagerly await her next releases and create mood boards and reread them often. I remain a fan as an adult reader! I liked this book a lot, loosely based on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I think it will be especially fun for Philly sports fans and Philly natives to read as well. Nothing has topped TSOBR for me but this was a fun, breezy YA that got me in the mood for more of the genre.

Synopsis:

“Grace, Isa, and Everett used to be an inseparable trio before their love lives became a tangled mess. For starters, Grace is secretly in love with Everett, who used to go out with Isa before breaking her heart in the infamous Freshman Year Fracture. And, oh yeah, no one knows that Isa has been hanging out with James, Grace’s brother—and if Grace finds out, it could ruin their friendship. With graduation fast approaching, Grace decides an unsanctioned senior skip day in Philadelphia might be just what they need to fix things. All she has to do is convince Isa to help her kidnap Everett and outmaneuver James, who’s certain his sister is up to something.In an epic day that includes racing up the famous Rocky steps, taste-testing Philly's finest cheesesteaks, and even crashing a wedding, their secrets are bound to collide. But can their hearts withstand the wreckage?” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Premise—i love Ferris Bueller and i loved how everything happened in one single day. I think it’s a fun and unique take that i don’t see too often and makes the book feel quite cinematic.

The Characters—I loved this group and how they had to navigate the very real and very difficult changes that were happening to their families.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

The Stakes—Didn’t feel as grave as they were written about, but i could always attribute that to my adult perspective. Things are BIG when you’re a teen.

Mention of a Tesla Incessantly—I know books are written well in advance of their publication, but the car was constantly referred to as “the Tesla”. A plot point is running out of power/needing to charge it, so i understand, and there is no mention of Musk. It just bummed me out given the current climate and Musk’s meddling within the US government.

Open/Closed Door:

I do not like to mention or think about “spice” in YA as the characters are young so, gross and wrong. But KL Walther writes sex positive romance and while it is decidedly closed door/fade to black, there is a scene where characters take the next step in their relationship.

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Overall Rating: 3.5/5

I had so much fun reading this book! K.L. Walther has such a knack for evoking late teen/coming of age nostalgia in her books - they are one of very few things that make me miss being a high schooler! She encapsulates the feeling of being on the cusp of growing up in a way that no one else can touch. I loved the multiple POVs in this book. Getting to hear everyone’s side of the story really enhanced the reading experience. I really enjoyed this book and foresee myself reading it again!

Amazing book! I've loved this story so much, it's so nostalgic, so heartwarming!
There is a mix of everything - characters developments, adventures, feelings, romance, friendship. Whirlpool of everything.

I've craved for such kind of friendship ans our characters have, so it was absolutely delightful.
K.L.Walther has me hooked after the Summer of broken rules and every other book was also so good, never a disappointment.